


Shadows of a Broken Covenant

by Chitauri_Specter



Category: Alien Series, Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Graphic depictions of violence - Freeform, I don't know if I put the right "Alien" series tag, I really don't know how to tag, I'd name more stuff but that might be spoilers, Incomplete, Making This Up As I Go, Mystery, Suspense, first fic, god help me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-30
Updated: 2018-12-09
Packaged: 2019-09-02 17:44:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16791709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chitauri_Specter/pseuds/Chitauri_Specter
Summary: The Enterprise is sent to survey the progress of a recently reopened file: The USCSS Covenant. They will come to find out there was probably a reason the file was left unfinished...





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> FYI: The stardates are calculated by http://www. stoacademy. com/tools/stardate .php so it would not be my recommendation to compare those to the TOS stardates or anything. Just remember that season 2 of this taking place in the year 2267 (and Alien Covenant took place 2104) and that’s all you’ll need to know. I would also like to warn people that I am grammatically challenged and this is my first fic so I’m

Prologue (Here I go I guess)  
\-----------------------------------------

“What I don’t understand is how it was all held in a box!” He heard Mccoy exclaim. Kirk walked up to the side of the bridge where Uhura and McCoy were in a deep discussion. “I was researching, Leonard, apparently they were screens that projected an image from a ‘box’ as you call it. Much like those in the briefing room or even here on the bridge.” She gestured to the panels above her station. “Huh.” Bones grumbled Bones as he bounced on his heels.

“Now what’s all this about?” Kirk asked incredulously. “You and Uhura...fighting?”

“Not at all Captain,” Uhura smiled with a glint in her eyes, “We were having a discussion about the old fashions of cinematography in the twentieth and twenty-first century--”

“And I’m still not sure how people could stare at a screen while the HEV lights slowly destroyed their eyeballs.” Bones interrupted.

“Something like that.” Uhura added.

“Well if your speaking of cinematography, what sparked this interest?” Kirk asked them curiously.

“I don’t really know Captain, see, I found myself with a little extra time on my hands and thought about how some people would pass time with what they called movies.” Uhura began.

“Yes,” Kirk said as he looked up at the ceiling wonderingly, “I remember when Miss Keeler wanted to see a- a… Clark Gable movie she called it.”

“Well let’s not dwell on that past Jim, there are better things to do with your time.” Bones answered him quickly patting his shoulder.

Uhura opened her mouth so say something but subsequently turned in her chair and placed one of her hands of the earpiece she wore. She’d redone her nails, Jim noticed, a pale beige color. She looked back up at him. “It’s Starfleet Command sir.”

“Very well, what do they have to say?”

“They had recently found an unfinished file in the memory backs of the year 2104.”

“Yes, I remember one of the Admirals informing me about something like that.”

“They have reopened it and want the Enterprise to go to Origae-6 to see if there has been progress since the disconnection of information. They wish for us to conduct a survey when we arrive.”

“Acknowledge them, we’ll get going.”

“But sir,” Uhura said confused, “Why would they suddenly decide to check on this planet after 163 years?”

“I guess that’s something we’ll find out.”

Bones walked behind Kirk down the small step to the lower level of the bridge and stood beside the arm of the Captain’s chair as Kirk sat down in it. Honestly he had know idea who the architect was for the bridge and why is had an uneven surface. It really just seemed like a trip-and-break-who-knows-what hazard but then again, no one had fallen...yet.

“Set course for 4 mark 16 Mister Sulu.”

((There is nothing special about these numbers. Do not try to line up with a map.))

“Aye sir.”


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey ho. Sorry the prologue is a bit short, but I’ll be sure to have more elaboration, details, and WORDS in general in these next chapters. No promises though, I’m trying.  
> \---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Captain’s log, Stardate 345000.3. Upon new orders we have been headed to planet Origae-6 for the past 2 solar days. We should be reaching our destination within the hour.

Stepping out of the Turbolift, Kirk ambled over to Spock from the lower part of the bridge. From there he leaned on the red railing that surrounded the interior of the lower layer. “Mister Spock”

“Yes Captain?”

“Report.”

“We will approach Origae-6 in 15.649 minutes…” His voice trailed off, “...curious.”

“Hmm?”

“There is another planet even closer to our current location, also class M. It seems to have traces of an unknown organism.”

“Put it on screen.”

“Onscreen--now.”

The largest panel in the front of the bridge showed the image of a planet, masses of white cloud in cyclones gripped the planet but underneath revealed the cobalt bodies of water and blends of shamrock and viridian. Two moons in steady orbit around it giving the planet the look of the Chadwick atom model.

“Magnification 12.”

“Magnification 12.” Sulu echoed as he completed the transition.

“Fascinating.” A voice came from the side of the bridge.

“Yes Mr Spock?” Kirk replied to him ardently. Afterall, he was expecting the word sooner or later.

“The planet registers a strange biological trace being emitted from that planet--”

“And?”

“And no other animal lifeforms, all vegetation.”

“An invasive species.”

“Possibly, Captain.”

Chekov was conversing with Mr Sulu while the rest of the bridge was paying them no mind. “Vat do you zink of zees Sulu, eet eez wery strange zee Federation vould not bother looking at zees planet till now.”

“I agree, but that doesn’t seem to be that which is bothering me about this whole mission,” Sulu told him. “How about why there was a cut off in communication from the Covenant in so long?” By then, Chekov’s attention was somewhere else, the large screen focused on the planet. His eyes were squinting. Sulu decided to follow his gaze and look too.

“Vat eez zat?” Chekov announced his query. Kirk turned his attention the the screen. What Mr Chekov?”

“Zat leetle golden spot on zee screen.” He got up and pointed to the pixels that made up the position he was referencing.

Spock looked up from his scanner “It could seem to identify as made of material similar to that of an alloy of copper, chromium, and titanium as well as the combination of steel. This is only it’s comparison to material terms that are known to us, however, this substance is completely foreign.”

“Well,” Kirk said, “we are very near Origae-6 and exploration of this very close planet could prove beneficial.” He pushed the PA on the arm of the chair. The button responding with a satisfying click. “Ensign Mcanally, Xenobiologist Carson, Lieutenant Allen, and Doctor McCoy, report to the transporter room.” He turned to the vulcan, “Come with me Mister Spock, Mister Chekov, we have an unidentified metallic object to investigate.”

He started for the turbolift and Spock trailed behind him. Chekov cast a nervous glance at Sulu, who shrugged. “You did point it out, you know.” Chekov nodded. Usually away mission were not safe--actually they never were--but he nodded at Sulu and hastily entered the turbolift with the Captain and XO. Not before double checking the color of his shirt, though, just in case.  
Chekov felt the minute draft as the sliding doors of the transporter room closed behind him. He took a pad beside Spock, who was waiting as Kirk talked with Scotty. The entrance opened and closed again, allowing the presence of Bones, two men, and a woman. “We are a bit early to be at Origae-6 already, are we not Captain?”

It was lieutenant Allen, a woman of 32 years. She wore her dark hair in a loose braid, tied with a ruby band that complimented the color of her uniform. Her skin tone was a darker tan and though she was only 5’5 she spoke firmly with confidence, slight confusion mixed with curiosity were laced in her tone.

“Quite correct, Lieutenant, we are currently in orbit of neighboring planet.” It was Spock who answered her first.Kirk moved to one of the pads as did the four new arrivals. “There are two interesting factors about this planet, a singular life form than greenery and what appears to be a structure out of place.” Kirk added, “we will investigate the two before we continue to Origae-6. Scotty, energize.”

“Aye sir.”

Within seconds they were standing in forest. A fast flowing stream indicated a body of water nearby and and a small opening in th canopy yielded the sight of blue skies.”Very beautiful I do have to say, Jim, I could see myself having shore leave on a planet like this.” Bones mused, his southern accent coming through loud and clear. “Maybe some other time Bones,” Kirk apologized, “for now, we should see to what we came here for. Allen, Carson, Mcanally, and Chekov survey the terrain for signs animal life, Spock, Bones, and I will explore the-” he stopped for a second, “article?” he tried. “Acknowledged sir.” Carson spoke as they departed.

“It is difficult to describe the unknown, Captain.” Spock looked at him.

“Exactly why we should find out.” Jim told him.

“I vote croissant.”

Jim and Spock turned simultaneously to Bones. “Croissant. The bread configuration and pastry of French origin Doctor?” Spock inquired, one of his eyebrows risen.

“Well, Chekov described its shape as something like such, it seems logical--he glanced at Spock--we give this thing a name until we know what it actually is.”

“Doctor, naming an alien structure after an earth food is not logical.”

Jim smiled. “Croissant it is then. I guess it did look something like such from above.”

Spock’s other eyebrow shot up as he turned to Kirk incredulously. Humans.

ooo000OOO000ooo

Chekov sauntered through the shrubs. They were everywhere and really squishy. There wasn’t anything bad about this place--NO. He told himself firmly. Eet LOOKS like zhere’s nothing vrong vith zees place. Eet alvays does. Looking around, there was a peculiarly palpable amount of umber-hued clusters. They seemed to be comprised of what looked like earth coconuts. Huh. He huffed. “Hey, Mcanally, have you seen zese things?” He gestured to the coconut impersonators. “Yeah, I seem em. They’re EVERYWHERE.” Mcanally responded and took out his tricorder. “It appears that there is a high concentration of that living stuff the Captain was talking about coming from these.” He said.A small yelp came from farther ahead, where Carson had just tipped. “Keep looking at zis, I vill help him.” Chekov told him and jogged off.

Mcanally bent over to closer examine the growth. There was a small mouth about the top, he raised his hand to touch it. It moved. He gasped and retracted his limb so fast--too fast--his hand smashed into his nose, knocking his off balanced from the kneeling position he was in. With a thud, he landed hard on his back. Hands on nose and winded, Mcanally turned on his side and opened his eyes. He took his hands off his face and flipped himself over so that he was on his hands and kees overlooking another one of the clusters. The top of this one moved as well, also ejecting black particles from it--which when right up his nose as he was catching his breath.

Allen cast a shadow over Mcanally as she stoop over his kneeling form. “You okay there?” She asked as she extended her hand to help him up. “Wha? Oh, yeah, yeah. Thanks.” He took her hand and then made a scrunched face. “Mcanally?”

“I’m fine,” He told her, “I was about the sneeze. Never actually happened.”

She chuckled. “We should collect with Chekov and Carson to see what we found.”

ooo000OOO000ooo

Spock pressed his hands against the uneven wall of the interior. The material making the walls was ductile and pulled into large wires he would say that wove together to create the walls. Through small holes he could see that the walls were also layered to be airtight… He walked up to join where Kirk and McCoy were venturing through the halls. “These patterns that make up that wall are a fascinating variety of tessellations but don’t seem to serve any structural benefits.”

“There’s always aesthetics, Spock, it’s pleasing to the eye.” McCoy’s voice curtly replied; it echoed through the corridor.

“That is assuming those built this had eyes, Doctor, I-” He was cut off by a voice from an opening to their left.

“They had eyes alright.”

Spock opened his mouth to inquire how Jim new this but closed it quickly when he saw what he was standing in front of; a mountain of humanoid bodies, they all appeared to be diseased and much larger than the average human beyond doubt. He estimated at least 3 or 4 times the size by the one stretched out across the bottom and his captain, who was standing next to it. 

The bodies were comprised of charcoal, onyx, and iron in hue, their cranial constituent looking most definitely human as well as the placement of the eyes and cheek structure but unlike the human race, their faces came into a tube resembling the front of a prehistoric earth macrauchenia, from the last ice age. The small trunk also went through the face and into the chest where an external rib cage was located. “Interesting.” He murmured to himself quietly and then turned to see another passage. Spock looked back around at Jim and McCoy, who were conversing about something riveting from the looks of it, before heading into the darkness.

McCoy had strolled over to where Kirk was looking at the face of one of the creatures. “They don’t even seem real.” he said at his approach. “Well I can tell you for sure, they’re dead Jim.” Kirk looked up at him, a smirk written on his face, “Wow, Bones, I had no idea.”

“Well how about it, though, look at the ribs in the front.”

“What about them?”

“The way they connect into the body--they can’t be ribs.”

“This is an alien species, Bones, however humanoid it appears.”

“But that’s just it Jim, there are some things that just don’t occur naturally no matter what planet your on, and the way they are twisted into the beginnings of the legs, around and into the body, I don’t even know. Something’s just telling me that is not a natural pattern.”

“What did Spock say?”

“Speaking of which, where’d Spock venture off to?”

“Spock?” Kirk called out. “Spock??!”

“I am presently right behind you Captain.”

Kirk spun around to face his XO, all his nerves were tingling. “Geez! Don’t do that.”

“My condolences, but there is something else I suspected about this place and it seems my theory was correct.”

“And what may that be?” Bones had walked up to them.

Spock looked at the doctor and then backed to Jim. “The walls, they were made to be airtight.”

“A ship.”

Bones crossed his arms. “What confirmed your ideas?”

“While you and the Captain were discussing the creatures I explored a portion of this hall,” he gestured to the dark separation in the wall, “It is narrow and crepuscular to begin, however, widens into a chamber that is rather remarkable.”

Kirk extended his arm to motion him forward. “In that case, lead the way.”

ooo000OOO000ooo

Timothy Carson, a xenobiologist of 46, was third in line. Leading the way was Kayla Allen, alongside Pavel Chekov. Behind him trudged Dean Mcanally at the rear. They had collected several readings, including confirmation of the origin or the biotic--but not botanical--trace. For now, they were heading towards the alien structure to join the Captain, XO, and CMO. He heard Mcanally grumble from behind him. “I stepped on another one.” Carson almost tripped, himself, due to a vine underneath him. “I feel ya, standard issue boots are good for a lot of terrain but not intense greenery.”

“That’s for sure.” Mcanally agreed.

“You guyz are een luck, because zhere eez a clearing behind zee structure.” A Russian accent informed them from ahead.

A few more meters and they’d all stepped into the clearing. It was mostly level but had some cavities due to the slabs that jutted out and eroded the ones underneath them. She didn’t say anything, but Allen was also relieved that they were out of the woods--both figuratively and literally. What none of them were expecting, though, was the pompeii-death scene that greeted there arrival. She halted abruptly and an unsuspecting Chekov crashed into her from behind.  
A small gasp escaped her lungs as she tripped onto on of the hundreds of ashen figures that stood like a wax museum exhibit. She felt the crackling dryness of the dead flesh on the corpse against her face. Simultaneously the arid stench of the corpse assaulted her senses as well. In a reflex panic, she pushed outward to get off the disfigured carcass, it was more brittle than she estimated; the result of this action was the arm and head snapping off. Disgusted, she jumped up, swung her legs under her, and stood. A crack sounded under foot and she looked down to see a flurry of ash cloud her face. The ribcage, she surmised, had broken under her weight and the powder left of what might have been lungs was disturbed. She coughed, the remnants were stingings her sinuses, so she retreated towards the group. 

Chekov stared at the ghastly crowd that surrounded the place. Humanoid figures of all sizes wore the uniformed look of distress and confusion as a death mask. The was lost in disbelief till the sound of coughing brought him to to his senses. Lieutenant Allen was coming towards them with one of her arms covering her mouth. She was painted with dark black spots, streaks, and patches that gave her the appearance of a coal miner.”Vat happened?”

“I wasn’t paying attention and accidentally mutilated one of them.” She answered honestly.

He peered over her shoulder to the crushed one. “Zat one?” He pointed.

“Yes.”

“Eeesh.This place is creepy.” Carson commented from the back.

“We should get through it hastily then.” She answered. Personally, she had no desire to stay.

They were about 20 meters from the structure when Mcanally noticed a shape in the mountainous rocks surrounding the clearing. “Hey Carson,” he ventured for his attention, “I’m debating whether I’m just homesick for a city or those actually looks like skyrises over there.”

Carson looked for a second and cocked his head. “I’m not sure skyrise is the name I’d use to describe them but they definitely are multileveled buildings.”

“So it’s not just me then.”

“Sure, I mean, obviously? Since I’m seeing it too?”

“There’s always the placebo effect!”

“MCANALLY! CARSON!”

Both their attentions snapped to Allen, who was at an break in the object. “Zhere eez a break een zees zat ve can go through to zee front vhere ve beamed down!” Chekov hollered to them subsequently. Exchanging a quick glance they took off to catch up them and entered in a line the structure.

ooo000OOO000ooo

McCoy was close behind Jim, who was following Spock through the tunnel. He spread out his hands, the walls were starting to widen as they proceeded, he could longer feel the, at either side of him. “What is this exactly you are showing us?” He questioned irritably that this creep destination had to be so dark. The atmosphere around them was very moist--perfect. He thought. Who knows what kind of mold could be growing here--and how much of that is PoIsOnOuS.

“We are entering right as I speak, Doctor.” Spock’s passive reply echoed as the passage opened into a large chamber. “My gosh.” Kirk said. There were many seats at different angles built into a large circle. In the center was a revolving--but currently stationary--chair with a weapon of some sort attached to it. He looked down and around the place, there were levers and buttons scattering the surface they were walking on. A table maybe? Station? The sound of a small click interrupted his thoughts. He picked up his boot to see one of the buttons pushed in. He looked up, both Spock and Kirk had as well. Bones surveyed their surroundings fast, hopeful he hadn’t triggered anything. Nothing, but his sigh of relief betrayed him and turned into a choking splutter when he saw a white creature walking through the way they’d come in--also their only way out.

Eyes widened we whispered slowly “Jim?”

“What Bones?” He cocked his head when he saw the look on his face. “Bones?”

“Captain,” Spock breathed and quickly grabbed his phaser. With this, Kirk did too. Slowly making a 180 he saw a figure coming in his direction. He aimed to fire but it didn’t seem to mind him, or his weapon, coming along on its course. It didn’t stop even when it passed right through him. “A hologram?”

“I would believe so.” Spock answered. “And it’s not alone.”

Kirk turned towards where the first one had come from, four more holographs passed through him. A last one trailed slowly behind them, his expression on of fear. “What is she afraid of?”

“Unknown, Captain, but the rest of the recording should inform us.”

And so it did. Kirk watched in as the people--they looked human enough--awoke one of the giant humanoids. This one lad a completely white face that was entirely human.

“What we saw was armour.” Kirk stated.

“I just knew something was off about their structured exoskeleton to be natural!” McCoy exclaimed triumphantly. “Ha!”

The continuing recorded scenes displayed an older person in front, he turned to a younger blonde man beside him and nodded. The younger man nodded back and commenced to talk communicate with the being. His perspective of the replay was one of curiosity but his nerves froze when he saw the being grab the blonde man by the neck and twist violently. A snap would have been audible if there were sound as it yanked his head off, his spine coming out with it and trailing a yellowish liquid with threads. One of the people took the projectile weapon--it resembled an early model of the phaser rifle--and fired it. Both hit the figure in the shoulder but had no effect. In effect, the white giant pushed a woman in front of it clear across the room, walking towards he who shot it. He smashed him to the ground and picked up his broken body. No effort was required for it to through his form to the opposite wall where it jolted in response and fell in and crumpled heap on the floor. The only one left was the woman who’d entered last, fear written in her featured before they’d even woken up the killer.

“The one who ran…” Kirk started.

“Dr. Elizabeth Shaw.” Spock finished for him and handed him a laminated card, her ID. “I discovered this when I first ventured in here.” He explained.

“I wonder if she got out.” Bones suggested.

“We follow then.” Kirk waved his hand to gestured them forward, he took a step and heard the click of another button. The hologram was now in a sort of time lapse mode, Shaw did come back and pick up the android head from the ground. In the next few seconds she returned and sat in the chair, working out some of the buttons. A man walked up to her and spoke to her, inaudibly to them. She got up and they started heading or the door. “Come on!” Kirk called and ran after Dr. Shaw and then android. He heard the clicking of his XO and CMO running behind him. They trailed after the holograms till they came to a new room altogether.

Kirk looked at the face of the man. “He’s the one… his head was pulled out.”

“Android,” It was Dr. McCoy that spoke, “the threads that came out with his spine where manufactured and the way his head was twisted off, not human.”

“It sure seems to have the emotions of one anyway.” Kirk pointed to the android as it angrily raised it’s arms and destroyed a piece of furnishing adjacent to an elevated platform. Shaw, who was sitting on the platform flinched and turned to him. Her trembling lips spoke with defiance. There wasn’t any sound but her read what he could from her lips: “City...capsules…” He looked to the man’s mouth. “Them… made… kill us…” Shaw’s face hardened in masked fear but her eyes betrayed her, showing the deep glazed look of realization. “No.” The man whipped around fast and seized her neck, his firm grip pushed her from her sitting position to an askew angle on her back. She struggled as he kept his grip on her. Gasping and flailing she kicked his shoulder as he bent under the table. The sides came down far but left a gaping dark hole at the base. His arm free was scouting it then stopped abruptly, it found something.

Shaw inhaled a sharp breath, her breathing still uneven and lept from the table over the crouched man, her heading: the only way in and the only way out. The man’s free hand shot up and he wrapped his fingers firmly around her ankle. His precise timing synced with the fluid motion of his joints retracting, forcing her on the ground. Dazed, she’d look up to see that the man had turned to be looking over her, he grabbed her by the neck of her shirt and dumped her back on the table. She wasn’t giving up yet but her chances were hopeless, her face of horror turned somber as he raised a green, multi legged creature to her would become her death mask.

The recording ended and left the real body of Dr. Shaw in the wake of the holographic one. Her body was still very well preserved despite the age of her now, Kirk guessed some form of preservatives, and her entrails were spilled out all around her. Much of her ribcage had been severed and placed carefully on the shelves beside her and her skin was torn; resting on her body with the muscle and blood vessels underneath the hypodermis exposed.

“What happened?” Kirk asked gravely.

“No,” McCoy breathed, “we know what happened, the question is: what came out of her? he pointed to her broken body.

“Most interesting.” Bones shifted his position to look at Spock who was standing near the entrance. His hands were held behind his back and he was gazing at the collective sketches on the wall. There were also many organisms that had been preserved and where lined up.

“Spock, this woman is dead--” He started, a metal rod had dropped and clattered to the floor. He jumped. “I swear this place is giving me the creeps. Who was that sick maniac? All my nerves are completely on end.” He moved closer to Jim and Spock, both now hovering over Shaw’s corpse. “I wonder more and more just how deserted this place is. I--”

Spock shushed him. They all froze and hear the scuttling of footsteps behind them, a small voice spoke; “Hello?”

All three of them whipped out their phasers and pointed them at the entrance behind them. “Oh, golly--” Carson, who was at the front backed up, Allen, Mcanally and Chekov around him. He looked from their phasers pointed at his head and then at the body they were standing over. Damnit! There’s dead people outside, dead people inside, this planet is a massacre.”

“Dead people outside?” Kirk asked.

“Yes Captain, a the entirety of a city population looks like Pompeii right outside.” Allen told him.

“We’ve figured out that this place is a ship, how about anything on the bio-trace?”

“Yes sir,” Chekov said, “eet ees inwasive to zhis planet and coming from zhee mahogany spheres outside. Further analysis can be done on zhee ship.”

“Well, let’s get back to the ship, we got what we came here for.” He flipped open his communicator. “Kirk to Enterprise.” No response. “Kirk to Enterprise.” Static answered his call.

“Too much interference, Captain, I believe it is the material of the walls.”

“Outside we go then. Bones, will you lead us out?”

His friend grinned at him. “I was thinking you’d never ask.”

They walked--a little faster--out from which they came till they were greeted with the light outside the ship. “Entering a dark, unknown, place of doom 101, always remember the way out.” Bones announced.

“Well done.” Kirk teased him. He looked up through a break in the canopy above them, a lone wispy white streak of cloud painted across the sky. “Cirrus?” Spock, beside him, turned to look. “It would seem so, the atmosphere is very similar to earth and the abundance of water would allow this to be true. He nodded, it kind of looked pretty alone in the sky. He pulled out his communicator again. “Take two, Kirk to Enterprise.”

“Scott here.”

“Beam us up, Scotty.”

The tingling and whirr of the transporter brought them into the familiarity of the transporter room.

“Welcome back, Captain, did ye find anything?”

“I believe so, Scotty,” he jogged down the stairs off the transported platform and click the button on the wall, “Mr. Sulu.”

“Yes Captain?”

“Set course to Origae-6.”

“Already got that sir.”

“Pull us out of orbit then, I’ll be there shortly, Kirk out.”


	3. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Bout time to update :) hope you're liking it so far. Also, the concept of currency in Star Trek is unclear but they used some sort in "The Trouble With Tribbles" so I’m gonna say, yes, they do use some sort of money in this universe. Cool?  
> \------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Captain’s log, stardate 345003.5, after the past two days at warp, we are in orbit of the planet Origae-6. Uhura has established contact and we’ve gotten clearance to beam down and conduct our survey. Landing parties will consist of myself, Doctor Mccoy, Mr. Spock, Mr. Sulu, Mr. Chekov, Xenobiologist Carson, and Ensign Mcanally. The planet is quite beautiful and tranquil from above, I wonder why it had been forgotten…

“Jim!” It’s Bones. Kirk turns in his chair to see the good doctor emerging from the turbo lift. He stopped at the sight of the planet on screen. “My god, when I heard we were going to ‘Origae-6’ I was under the impression the planet would look more like an organ or something but behold, instead, a ripe lime!”

“An illogical statement doctor.” Came from Jim’s right side and he knew an argument would follow. “So,” Jim spoke up as Bones was opening his mouth. “Uhura here has us all set up to beam down so how about we do that, yes?”

“That would be ideal captain” and “Yeah, whatever” were the replies he received. “That’s more like it,” he leaned over and pushed down the intercom button on the arm of his seat. “Xenobiologist Carson and Ensign Mcanally to the transporter room.” He got up and turned to the people waiting on him. “Alright, enough standing around, let’s go.”

ooo000OOO000ooo

Mccoy entered the transporter room behind Sulu and stood on the steps, facing the jovial face of Scotty. Jim was talking to the Chief Engineer while Sulu, Chekov, Spock, and Mcanally were on the transporter pads. They were still waiting on Carson and Mccoy was not particularly fond of the scattering and rearrangement of his mass so he decided he could wait till the entire party was present before stepping onto the pad. Jim turned from where he was talking to Scotty, “Where’s Carson at?”

“Here Captain!” came the answer running through the door. Mccoy had to wonder how it opened in time for him not to slam right into them. His cheeks were flushed and he was clearly out of breath. “Sorry sir,” he said between breaths, “I was trying to finish processing our findings from the previous planet for Lt. Allen.”

“Very well,” Mccoy heard his friend reply. “You're here now and we wouldn’t want our hosts waiting till much longer.” Mccoy stepped into position along with Jim and Carson and braced himself when he heard the familiar whir of the transporter. Would he ever give it a good connotation?  
ooo000OOO000ooo

As he materialized, Sulu found himself facing a white-robed man. He had grey eyes, no hair, and by the looks of it he was there to greet them. He also introduced himself as Joseph. 

“Hello Enterprise crew,” Joseph started. “Welcome to Origae-6. Allow me to show you around.” The crew exchanged glances, but Joseph was already walking away so they followed him. 

From the posterior view, Sulu could see that Joseph’s robe was not just white but had an intricate design embroidered into it; it was a plant… or at least he thought it was. After all, it was green leaved, squat in shape, and had three brown bulbs on it that reminded him of coconuts. The sound of their guide speaking brought Sulu out of his thoughts, he’d make sure to ask about the pattern later.

“This is the first building,” Joseph gestured to a large, charcoal colored structure with an array of blue lights. It was long with steps leading up to it, and if he was being honest with himself, it didn’t really look like a conventional building. Sulu could only shrug, who was he to judge?

They kept walking, passing public transportation, appliance areas, textile stores, and curiously, none of them had any security or check-out stations. “Um, sir?” He called to Joself, who turned to face him. “Why the absence of cash registers, security mechanisms, uh--” he stopped. Hearing it aloud, it sounded like a stupid question, maybe after their isolation from earth for so long, their society developed differently.

“I thank you for pointing that out,” Joseph beamed. “We pride ourself on the absence of currency and of use of the honor system. No crime, no pay, just follow the rules here.”

“What kinds of rules.” Carson inquired.

“Simple. Curfew at 2200 hours, all citizens must be registered and have an identifier with them at all times they are not home, and if you see a creature within the city, then notify animal control immediately.” Sulu looked around, now that he mentioned it, there wasn’t an animal in sight, just people.

“I have shown you lots of the public areas but you must have come down for more than a tour so here I’ll leave you. I must go to the founder of this settlement. He has been gone for the past three days.” Sulu turned to Doctor Mccoy who looked like something he swallowed ‘went down the wrong tube’.

“Did I hear that correctly? Founder?” He asked, flustered but very intrigued.  
“Yes.”  
“If you don’t mind me asking, how old was he when he founded this place?”  
“Bones!” Kirk tried to silence him.  
“Quite alright Captain, he was about 40 Doctor.”  
“So he’s, I dunno, 147?”  
“And still young.” Joseph replied casually.  
By this point Sulu stepped back, expecting the doctor’s head to explode. “How?”  
“The medical offerings of this planet are much better than Earth. Now, I really do have to go.”

“Well.” Kirk started to his crew, now that they were in the absence of Joseph. “We’ll break up for a routine survey, and then rendezvous where we beamed down at 1800 hours.”

ooo000OOO000ooo

Mcanally and Carson had paired together to survey and had about 30 minutes before they had to be bac, as of now, they were on the steps of the first building. Mcanally winced as another cram pained his side and he felt a tightness in his chest. “I’m gonna sit down for a second Timothy” he breathed.

“Everything ok?”

“Just a stomach ache or heartburn or something.”

“What?”

“What?”

“You say something.” Carson turned to see him sitting on the steps.

“Yeah, but if you didn’t answer me then--”

“I did.”

They both turned to see Joseph walking down the steps. “You may just be slowly adjusting to the difference in pressure here,” he offered Mcanally. “Come inside, the doctors have stuff for respiratory issues, not what you have but should help clear the tightness in your chest.”  
“I don’t know, it’s 1730 hours, we could head back,” Mcanally declined. “Thanks anyway.”  
“It won’t take long, only a couple minutes.” Joseph insisted.

Mcanally looked at Carson. “How about you go with Joseph and I’ll go to the rendezvous point and tell them your whereabouts?” Carson suggested. 

“You’re the best.” He told him and watched him run off before following Joseph inside.


	4. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so that last one was shorter than I expected--I’ll try to make that up to you!--and I’m trying my hardest to update regularly. (ABSOLUTELY NO GUARANTEES)  
> \------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Carson, and right on time,” Mccoy announced upon is arrival. “Where’s Ensign Mcanally?”

“Yeah, about that. He said he was having some cramps or something and Joseph found us and explained that the air pressure was different here and that he may be slow at adjusting. They’re in the first building now.”

“Understandable Carson,” Kirk began. “Dr Mccoy and I will see to him while the rest of you beam back up.”

They acknowledged him and Kirk hummed along to the sound of the transporter he heard behind him as he and Bones started to the first building. 

“Humming, Jim?” Bones quipped, not missing a beat.

“Kinda soothing wouldn’t you say?”

Bones shrugged, “dammit man, I’m a doctor, not a musician.”

“I knew you would say something like that.”

They continued along until they came upon the steps. Jims started to jog up easily but Leonard stopped at the bottom of the stairway and huffed. Stairs always tired out his legs halfway through and he was not one for physical fitness but Jim was already on the penultimate one so he decided he’d better get a move on--that’s when he heard the scream. He froze, but just looked up soon enough to see Jim make eye-contact with him, and as if on cue, they both started hauling ass towards the entrance. A doctor is waiting in the doorway.

“You have come for Mr. Mcanally?”

Jim nodded.

“He should be out in 5.873 seconds.”

“Quite the precision, eh Jim?” 

“Sounds like someone we know.” Jim smirked.

Bones groaned and rolled his eyes, “Don’t remind me.”

They both turned attentively to the doorway, were Mcanally was following two doctors and talking to Joseph; he seemed content. Bones reached into his medical kit for his scanner, but the doctor on the right halted him.

“That won’t be necessary, his complete record is here,” she handed him a padd. “And if you wish to see yourself.” She swiped the screen so that a scanner was displayed like an x-ray (imagine it like the one in Star Trek Beyond if you know what I mean). It was crisp and she waved it gracefully up and down Mcanally to show no issues with the Ensign.

“Impressive.” He told her, quite satisfied--and yet still a little skeptical. Maybe it was just him.

“Thank you very much for your help and hospitality,” Jim nodded to the medics and Joseph, who responded with a curt nod.They started to walk away and when out of ear range of the inhabitants of the planet, turned to Mcanally. “Did you hear a scream when you were in there?”

“Yes Captain.”

“And do you know where it came from.” Bones pressed.

“I wondered the same thing. They informed me that the room close to the entrance is a delivery room and that someone was birthing twins.”

Fair enough. He thought, but what’s missing from this place? He never heard Jim pull out his communicator or give the order, but the answer came to him as they beamed up to the ship.

ooo000OOO000ooo

It was the next day and they were still in orbit of Origae-6 with plans of leaving tomorrow. He’d been contemplating his ideas all night and Leonard’s body was screaming at him for coffee. He looked down at the work on his desk and shoved it away. Coffee. The only thing he thought about as he made his way to the synthesizers. Coffee. The only thing he yelled when he slammed head-on into Spock. “COFFEE!”

“Coffee, Doctor?” He questioned.

“Nevermind that, I’ve got something to talk to you about, so while you’re here   
Let’s make the most of our time.” He turned to the synthesizer room a couple doors away. Coffee…

Spock was incredibly confused and the only explanation that came to mind was a single word: Humans. He didn’t know why he did it, but he found himself following the doctor, and there was no point in turning back once he entered the room.And there he found Mccoy, sitting oddly in a chair, sipping coffee.

ooo000OOO000ooo

Jim had no idea how long he’d been standing there, but sometimes, the best thing in the universe was watching his closest friends arguing. 

“A whole city, not a single smile, a smug face, a display of envy, nothing!” To no surprise, Bones was shouting.

“Not necessary, Doctor, Vulcans, for instance, do not--” He was cut off.

“This is not Vulcan Spock! These are people!” It was time for Jim to say something.

“Gentlemen.”

“Jim!” Bones whipped around in his chair he looked like he was going to fall and flip the table. “Thank god! Help me talk some sense into the hobgoblin here, the city is missing a big and important aspect of humans--who happen to be the entirety of the inhabitants--emotion.”

“It’s missing more than just that Bones.” They both stopped and looked at him.

“Hate to admit it but I needed go to the restroom but every facility I checked didn’t have one.” He confessed. He saw a smug look on Mccoy’s face and braced himself for a snarky remark. Then he saw Spock, stiff as a board and clearly concentrating on something. “Spock?”

He looked up. “Sorry Captain, I thought I heard something… a small blip.”

“Well that’s awfully vague.” Bones quipped.

“How about I send in a word to Starfleet Command that we be extending our stay for one more survey in case we overlooked something. Okay?” 

“I dunno Jim, I say we just leave, they’re obviously doing fine and this place is giving me the heebie jeebies.” Bones declined. 

“Something’s different, and it wouldn’t hurt to visit one more time. May even be beneficial.”

They all stood and headed towards the door, “I guess you’re right.” Bones conceded. 

The three of them walked together through the door and crossed paths with Chekov, Sulu, Mcanally, and Carson. “Sorry Keptin.” Chekov apologized when he almost hit Jim. “No worries Mr Chekov, where are you all heading?”

“The the rec room on our break.” Sulu answered for him when Chekov looked tongue-tied. “Carry on.” He told them with his signature smile. 

Jim took a left turn into the turbo lift to the bridge--Spock and Mccoy had already gone their own separate ways--and although he had said it more to calm Bones down, the thought that something was off about the planet was nagging at the back of his mind now too. “Uhura.”

“Yes, Sir?” She turned in her seat, raising her hand to her silver ear-piece.

“Would you establish contact with Origae-6?”

“If I may, what for?”

“Say that we were sent some additional areas to check-up on before we leave.”

“A lie, Captain?” Uhura inquired.

“Small one,” He raised his hand with his fingers pinched for emphasis, “the situation dictates some secrecy. Something seems fishy, but if we go back down and find we were just paranoid about nothing, no sense in causing something akin to the red scare, eh?”

“I guess not.” She started to move her fingers about the multicolored dashboard in front of her.  
It was only moments before she turned back at him. “That was fast.” Jim commented, and then he saw confusion written on her features. “Joseph answered, he says they were expecting our return.” 

“They?”

“The founder is with him, David.”

Jim shrugged, he could roll with that. “Put them onscreen.”

“Captain.” David spoke first. “It would be our pleasure to welcome any one of your crew back to this planet.” He continued and smiled.

Uhura kept a straight face but internally shuddered, he was out of practice.

“Thank you for your generosity, gentlemen, we’ll be down shortly.” 

“Our pleasure.” They ended the transmission.

“Now that’s taken care of, send a word to Starfleet command that we are extending our stay to make sure we did not overlook anything.”

It was after this Jim realized he’d been walking in tight circles around his chair, it was slightly satisfying--but that was beside the point. Before he passed for the intercom button again--god knows how many times he had earlier--he stopped, pushed it down, and started listing names. He was going to release the button when the thought occurred to him that if he was going to be doing an investigation incognito he might want a larger team with a variety of specialties. Thus, he added more names to the roll call and the button was released.

ooo000OOO000ooo

Chekov laughed aloud at the squeak of the sliding doors when he, Sulu, Mcanally, and Carson entered one of the recreational rooms. “Zat noise get me ewery time” he declared. “Can’t say I disagree with you on that one” Carson agreed.

You guys wanna see something cool?” Mcanally suggested.

“Sure, why not?” The other three replied unanimously, cracking up for a reason none of them could define, it was just one of those moments. Other people in the room joined them around the table they had settled at. “So, I was at--” Mcanally was cut off by the boatswain whistle of the PA system: “To the transporter room: Lt Allen, Xenobiologist Carson…” Kirk started. Chekov really wasn’t paying attention till he heard his own name. “Well, that’s us.” Sulu supposed and started for the door, followed by Carson and Chekov. “Really? Again?” Chekov groaned. This was supposed to be his free time. “Ugh, sorry Dean, maybe some other time. We definitely want to see it.” Sulu apologized.

Mcanally shrugged, “don’t worry, you will.”


	5. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, I’ve got about 1k words in this chapter and it’s Friday so I’ll actually have some free time to write more so there should be less waiting for the next chapters. Thank you to anyone who’s been reading this load of crap and made it this far, you’re my favorite people right now. ❤️️  
> \----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kirk felt his boots connect with the solid ground of Origae-6, from a distance, David is approaching them. Depth perception was not something Jim prided himself on being good at because he really was just about average for a human possessing two working eyes but he would have to say that David was just about... 

50 feet from them? Something like that. His confidence was quite excessive most of the time but it was combatting a sinking feeling about the near future at the moment. 

40 feet. He’d told Chekov when he met him in the transporter room to share only with Scotty and Uhura in case things went wrong, they would be fine. 

30 feet. Lt. Allen had informed him about the progress on the findings from the previous planet. Simply unidentified vegetation to add to the records.

20 feet. He’d commanded lots of situations in the past and they turned out fine. What was making him so uneasy now?

10 feet. Nothing.

“Captain,” David shakes his hand and smiles again. “Glad I arrived in time to be here.”

“Thank you for allowing us back so soon.” Jim tried, it seemed to work.

“My pleasure, as you should know your way around somewhat better I’ll leave you to your additional surveys. If you need any assistance, Joseph and I will be in the user service center, I believe Joseph introduced it to you as the ‘first structure’. Farewell Captain.”

Jim turned back to his crew, who were standing in the ragged pattern the transporter left them at. “We will need to split up to make this as efficient as possible but no one is to ever be alone so each group will be comprised of three individuals.Palmer, Bricker, and Goel, you will be along the perimeter of the city, scanning vegetation. Mccoy, Spock, and Finnegan, you will be in and around the city. And lastly, Sulu. myself, and Carson will be asking questions to David or Joseph, there’s a lot to take in and report about. All clear?”

ooo000OOO000ooo

Amme Goel trudged along, following Palmer while kicking the leaves the littered the ground out of the way. For such a tidy city they should really invest in some landscaping for these neglected areas close to the outside. “There’s literally nothing, the trees all look exactly the same, and we’ve been walking for hours.” They heard Tiffany complain from the back.

“I don’t know, I think these ruins add to the natural beauty of it.” Amme commented.

“Or ominousness, y’know.” Tony added.

“And here I thought you’d be the tough security type.”

Amme could only smirk, they’d known Tony Palmer for a long time and he was anything but tough.

“Not tough, just honest.”

“So a good samaritan eh?” Amme jibed. They’d been walking for a long while and they wanted to stay distracted enough to not care but alert enough to actually have a report for the captain.

“Woman up.” Tiffany barked at him.

It was Tony’s turn to scoff now. “You underestimate me---HOLY SHIIIIIIIT” And then he was on the ground. Amme picked up their pace till they got to him; he was sitting up and clearly dazed. 

“That was the weirdest hardest branch I’ve ever seen.” Amme told him.

“What branch?” Tiffany said when she got to them. “I looked at every tree and all their branches are 15 feet up.”

Amme looked up and around; she was right, no branches. Tony turned to get to his feet but couldn’t and landed back down in a twisted manner. That’s when Amme saw the blood on his face. It was dripping from where Tony’s hand was covering his left side. They gently removed his hand to reveal a large gash running from his forehead down to his lower lip, they could see the bone of his skull. 

“Ton, it’s gonna be fine.” Amme tried to be comforting, then they realized how heavy Tony was and that he wasn’t supporting himself at all. “Tony?”

He eyes were glazed. “TONY?!” Amme slid her arm into the sleeve of her blue science shirt and tried to soak up the blood coming from his face, it only soaked her skirt and came out more. “He’s gone Amme.” Tiffany told him solemnly from behind. It was all flying over their head. What even happened? Something totally split their friend’s face in half.

“Amme, we have to try to bring him back.” Tiffany rested a hand on their shoulder. “Amme please.”

“What did this?” Amme growled and shot up; pulling out their phaser. 

“I don’t know but we don’t have time for that now.”

“What--”

“Shh.”

“Tiff--”

“SHHHH” Tiffany had all the color drained from her face and was looked directly at Amme. Or so they thought, until they turned around. A creature was staring at them. Maybe? Amme couldn’t be sure, it didn’t have eyes. Its skin looked like a bodysuit, tight on its bones which were protruding from any muscle it might have. Then the tail; long, lithe, and lethal. One of its arms extended menacingly to the ground and its teeth bared while its tail lashed back and forth.

“Run.” Was all Amme could choke out in their fear when the creature came dashing at them. They dove out of the way when it sprang at them with raze claws and its mouth wide open, aiming nowhere in particular, if it caught them anywhere they were as good as dead. 

“Tiffany!” Amme looked up from where she was on the ground, out of dodge but Tiffany wasn’t. “Watch--” She started coughing violently and all the dust she’d kicked up from the dry ground caused tears in her eyes, blurring their vision.” Warm liquid hit her face, they raised a hand to wipe it off and examine it--blood. 

They screamed. They were always told the best thing to do was not panic, the hell with that. They thought. They curled their fists and only one would close, the other had something hard in it. Their phaser. Aiming wouldn’t do them any good, they couldn’t see anyways so they just pressed the trigger in all directions until they heard a screech. If they killed it or not they didn’t know because they just ran.


	6. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright. Nothing like a little freetime to get what you actually want to do done.

“The design on your robe, what is that?” Sulu asked. They’d been conversing with David now for some time. This was at first to Sulu’s disappointment since he’d wished to ask Joseph about his design but David had the same robe anyway, it was just a deep purple.

“We are unsure other than that they were created by the Engineers.”

“Who now?” Carson spoke this time.

“A nomadic civilization that occupied this planet that occupied this planet before us. We arrived when they were preparing for departure, so they left it to us and set of to the next planet.”

“Thank you so much for your time, again, but one last question.”

“Go ahead Captain.”

“There seemed to be an absence of basic needs like food and--” he decided to leave the latrine part out--”the sort. What do you eat?”

“We’re mostly vegetarian because of the excess of plant life here and the climate never changes to there is no need to store food.”

Sulu shrugged, seems legit. He’d do the same thing if these living conditions were applied to his quarters. 

“We’ll be on our way to continue what we were sent back down for. Thanks again.”

“Anytime.”

Now at the bottom of the steps to the USC, Sulu watched as his captain pulled out his communicator; first he contacted his XO. “Mister Spock, report.” The baritone voice came clearly through the small device.

“Near the center of the city is a cluster of factories that we are headed to survey now. All else seems very parallel to Earth.”

“Very good, while you’re at it try to find anything you can about the ‘Engineers’,” he explained what they learned from David. “Then report back to the USC.”

“Acknowledged Captain.” 

Kirk was going to close the communicator closed when a southern voice came through. “Now hold up a second Jim, what exactly are we looking for because I don’t think we’re going to waltz anywhere and find a big sign in fancy print reading ‘engineers’.” 

A wry smile formed on Kirks face, “That much I don’t know Bones but I have I feeling you’ll know it if you see it. Kirk out.” He flipped the communicator closed in the hasty fashion he liked to do and attached to his belt. “In the meantime--”

“I hate to have to interrupt Captain, but someone is coming.” Sulu motioned his hand towards a figure that was coming at them. Running at them. It was 20 feet away and it was Goel. Alone?

“Amme!” Carson shouted and started running to them. Kirk followed so Sulu followed. Closer up he could see them more clearly and it was a messy picture. They had blood completely soaking their arm and sprayed across the blue of their uniform. Their eyes were red from the tears that were visible on their cheeks, they were covered in dirt with dust in their hair, and shaking like an earthquake table. Carson was the first to try and comfort them. “What happened? Where are Palmer and Bricker?” 

Amme took in a shuddering breath before replying. “We were attacked…. They’re dead.” Kirk gave her a comforting shhh before his own question; “What attacked you?”

They looked up from their sobs into his eyes. “A monster.”

ooo000OOO000ooo

Chekov was not having it. He moped down the hall back to the rec room he’d gone to with Sulu hours earlier. It definitely wasn’t the worst day he ever had but he seemed to be going back and forth and wanted a great. “Brighten up.” He told himself. “Now you have vwone.” Then he realized he wasn’t alone. The low thudding of footsteps that weren’t his own followed him. 

“Wait up.”

He turned around. He should have known, it was Kevin Riley. Chekov didn’t know him too well other than he was Sulu’s friend and from what he’d heard, there was some who-knows-what stuff that kinda made people lose it and he almost destroyed the ship.  
[reference: The Naked Time]

“Uhh hello.”

“You headed to the rec room D?”

“Yes?” This was so awkward but he seemed like a nice fellow so he didn’t want to disappoint. They were just about there anyway.

The sliding doors whoosed when they entered that hellhole. Chekov froze and quiver slightly, his mouth hanging open. Kevin didn’t have the same reflex so he tripped right over one. Bodies littered the floor and they all had spider looking creatures on their faces. Chekov was internally freaking out but he could not move a muscle, staring at the things on their faces. They had eight--bony?--legs holding it close to the face, a long ringed tail wrapped around their necks, and baggy lumps on each side of the body after the legs. Kevin screaming was the only thing that brought him out of his shock. 

“What the hell are those?!” Kevin breathed. 

‘I don’t know Kewin, but look.” Chekov pointed a finger at an elliptical figure on one of the tables. It had convexed lines that crossed the top but the rest was rather bland and beige. There was something else about the top, it moved--or at least he thought it did. Apparently Kevin saw it too.

“Shit...shit…” He slowly got on all fours and cautiously backed away from it. Once he was on his feet is peered over it for a second. “Kewin, get back here. Vee need ta leawe now.” Chekov urged him, purposely trying to avoid looking at the grotesque looking… what were they? For as little as he did know, he was sure they were hugging their faces. Facehuggers. He’d refer to them as that.

“Kevin.” He shot at him. Something like a snap but a whisper.

“I know,” Riley was stepping back now. Stepping back till he heard a crunch. Chekov winced at the sound while Riley jumped in surprise and ran to where Pavel was standing. He was sure as hell they were eggs now. Shaped like traditional eggs, spilled stuff like eggs, contained living things, like eggs. From the crushed mess a small wet body of one of the facehuggers slipped out.

“You zink eet’s dead?” He started. Riley shrugged.

“Looks dead.” 

“I don’t like eet. Vee should leawe.” Of course Chekov wasn’t surprised when it jumped up and wrapped itself around Kevin’s arm, but he was scared as hell and sure screamed like it. Kevin shook it in terror but it had a firm grip and was making its way to his shoulder… his neck… his head. 

Chekov heard Kevin’s muffled screams and flailing arms attempting to get it off his face. He moved toward Kevin in an effort to help but it was futile as he got smacked in the face instead. From the ground, back facing the door where he landed, the room was eerily quiet and Kevin’s body was slumped against the adjacent wall. 

He didn’t know when he got outside, he didn’t realized he’d been holding his breath, but someone’s arms where on his shoulders trying to call him down. “What… I heard screaming…. Inside… check…” 

“NO!” Chekov yelled so loud. “Don’t go in zhere!” He shook the crewman’s arms off of him and slammed his hand upon the intercom button to the bridge. “Mr Sc-c-c-ott,” he struggled past the studder in his fear. “Emergency! There eez something on zhe ship!”

ooo000OOO000ooo

“That is not a logical statement Doctor.”

“Why not? Huh? I’m allowed to have opinions dammit!” 

Spock internally sighed--no way he’d actually do it in front of Mccoy. “I never stated that. It simply doesn’t make sense that air should ‘smell bad’ since air doesn’t have a scent.”

“Unless something WAS smellifying it.” Mccoy retorted.

“Like that?” It was Jordyn Finnegan who spoke up this time, she was gesturing towards a long, hollow, tube that was emitting a white steam.

“Possibly.” Spock answered her. In unison they started towards the building.

“What are you doing? Oh I see… uuh uh HELL NO Y’ALL DON’T.”

“Doctor, I--” Spock was interrupted.

“Don’t you ‘Doctor’ me, that place is all bricks, no windows, has smoke coming out of it, and quite frankly resembles a slaughterhouse.”

“The Captain ordered us to investigate all that we could, this is something to take survey.”

“Are you BLIND? It says right there ‘DO NOT ENTER’. What if someone sees us?”

“We avoid the main entrances.” Jordyn proposed. “If this is anything like the factories on Earth, than it should have an emergency exit on its roof.”

How did he let this happen? Mccoy grabbed the next branch and hauled himself up to the next one. “One last branch.” Jordyn called from above him.

“I’m a doctor not a squirrel!” He shouted. One more though…. He was hoisting himself upon the tick branch when he heard the crunch of gravel. Gravel? On a tree?” Mccoy turned his head and saw Spock standing on the building, its roof was littered with gravel and he was awaiting the next person. He turned his head again to see Jordyn at the end of the branch bend down, bring her arms back, and spring to the building.

“Doctor, we must stay together, hold the branch above you while walking along the branch and jump.”

“We will catch you.” Jordyn added, it wasn’t hard to tell he hated this.

Mccoy gingerly made his way to his feet but never loosened his grip on the trunk. “Hold the branch above you.” Spock instructed his next step. Mccoy looked up, then down, no way in hell was he going to live. His limbs had other plans when his armed reached above his head until they held onto the firm limb above them and his legs proceeded along the branch.

“Now, brace yourself and leap.” Spock continued.

“No way.”

“We haven’t time before someone may hear us.” That was it. It was all over for him, he jumped.

“SHHHHHHHHHHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!!!!!!” Mccoy’s stomach when up inside him and he tried to grab at the air in the 3 seconds he was in freefall. It took him a while to realized he was in Finnegan and Spock’s arms.

“Told yah.” She told him when he opened his eyes.

He snorted. “Don’t you EVER have me do something like that again.” He snapped at Spock and stood up. He couldn’t help but notice the smug look on his face, whatever mask he was trying to hide it with was really failing. Jordyn opened up the trapdoor to the building and the trio dropped into the dark abyss.

It didn’t stay dark for long, a blinding light shone in their faces from a figure standing in front of them. “What are you doing here?”


	7. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so happy I got to get another chapter in before I had to be productive again. Hope you are enjoying reading this as much as I am writing it and tell me your thoughts so I can become a better writer. 😄  
> \---------------------------------------------------------------

Scotty was getting annoyed. “Chekov, we have to open up the doors to investigate what you saw.”

He still wouldn’t move, each palm on a different door and his back against the seem, sheer terror shone in his eyes. “I hate ta do this to ya lad, I don’t wanna pull rank but I could order yae to move and do as ya’re told.” The engineer sighed. What was it going to take to move him aside? Thankfully, Chekov reluctantly peeled himself from the door and allowed them to open it.

“You were right about the bodies but cannae see any facesuckers or whatever ya called them.”

Chekov looked inside, then ran inside examining every person on the floor. “I-I don’t understand Meester Scott. They were here, right here.” The medical team had already started their work.

“I can’t give you a reason for their unresponsive state, but they are alive,” one of the nurses informed Scotty. “We’ll conduct a thorough examination once they are all in the med bay. “Carry on,” Scotty told them, stepping aside to let the teams haul them away before turning to the security guard on his right. “Close off the area until we know exactly what happened. Everyone dismissed.” He heard a small blip from an unknown location. His eyes narrowed and he looked around, then shrugged. Better focus on the situation at hand. 

Chekov sulked out of the room. He’d swore he saw something, he knew it. “Not you Chekov,” Scotty stopped him. “You are not in trouble but you should get some rest, I want you ta stay in your quarters for now.” Chekov nodded, all he really wanted was a break.

The engineer watched him trudge away before leaving for the bridge. He ran his hand along the side of the ship, his lady. The smooth walls brushing his palm until he entered the turbo lift and pulled one of the levers--it squeaked. “Once the Capt’n is back I’ll fix you.” He told it, then the doors opened and he stepped back into the bridge. “Mr Scott.” Uhura’s voice called.

“Something happen while I was gone?”

“Not really except I picked up something unusual.” She admitted. 

“How so?”

“It started while the Captain was here, a small transmission showed up on my dashboard but it only lasted less than a second so I thought maybe there was some technical problem. I knew there were some buttons that needed fixing anyway so I didn’t think to much of it.”

“And?”

“It happened again for a little longer. I believe someone is sending transmissions from inside the ship to Origae-6.”

“We should inform the Capt’n.” He told her, placing a hand on her chair while she tried to contact him. “I can’t reach him, there is something interfering.” 

Scotty turned and pressed the intercom button of the Captain’s chair, “Mr Scott to Engineering.” Static. “Engineering do you read me?” More static. He turned back to Uhura, “I leave engineering for a couple hours and the ship is broken.” He rubbed his eyes before speaking again. “Imma go down and see what I can do to fix this, you have the con.”

ooo000OOO000ooo

Spock was sure it was all the screaming but there wasn’t time to sort all that out now. 

“Run.” 

They all turned and dashed down the steel lift, down some spiraling stairs and into the dimly lit floor below. The red glow of it illuminated heads on a conveyor belt. “I told you this was a slaughterhouse!” Mccoy was yelling. “Damn heads are lined up!” Spock ignored him, and jumped onto the conveyor belt, Jordyn and Mccoy following. It lead into a dark passage and then had a sudden drop into tubes, they wouldn’t fit in those but maintenance door was there as well, locked. Jordyn pulled a bobby pin out of her hair and picked the lock with ease. Mccoy had wondered what Jim was thinking with random specialties like a schematics and architecture major but now he was thanking the lord for her presence. 

“Got it.” They all heard a click and her hand pulled down on the handle without missing a beat. 

“Fast. FAST!” Mccoy hurried them through and locked the door again, they hadn’t yet lost their chaser. “You’re not supposed to be here.” A new voice directed at them.”

“Oh c’mon!” Mccoy groaned but Spock had already grabbed his arms and pulled him forward.

“No time Doctor.”

“For all the technology on this planet, I wouldn’t expect a factory like one of the industrial revolution.” Of course Finnegan was assessing the factory while running away. Since when did they decide it was a factory? 

“Factory?!”

“Those were not real heads Doctor, if you flipped them over on the conveyor belt, then you would see that they were androids. They all are.”

“Well I’m sorry I was more focused on escape than investigation.” They took another turn. “Wait, does that mean they have superhuman abilities?”

“Yes.” Their chaser grabbed the neck of his shirt and pulled him backward with such a force he felt like he was being choked. As quick as he was caught he was released and stumbled to his knees, the Vulcan had tackled the android, unfortunately, nerve pinches wouldn’t work. He watched as they tumbled down another flight of the stairs while he ran after them, Jordyn right behind him holding a leg she’d found. A pair of hands seized his shoulders and yanked him up the stairs. “What?!” Jordyn wasn’t behind him but their first chaser was. He thrashed in his grip trying to free himself. The android gripped harder, fingers digging painfully into him. “You’re coming with me.”

\----

Spock was still struggling with the android but at least they were no longer falling down stairs but this time he had clambered to the top of a shelving unit, its contents were arrays of identifications with names--he knew what this meant and had to get away. He could hear his companions yelling from above him. His own attacker had almost reached him again. The ceiling above him was a mesh grate, its holes large enough to get his hands through. Once his grip was firm enough he swung his body off his standing position and proceeded across the ceiling, his arms already bruised from the stairs and screaming in protest. 

An opening in the ceiling was not far, he had a 5% chance of making it if he hurried--better odds than most; but not good enough. He was pulling himself up when he was his attacker leap from the grates. There wasn’t a way he could escape so he braced himself as he lost his grip and they both crashed down into the waste system below.

\----

Jordyn was running out of time. Like Mccoy, she was being restrained by one of the androids. For what it was worth she put up a good enough fight for someone less gifted for hand to hand combat, especially against an opponent who was stronger, faster, seemed to not feel pain, and didn’t get tired at all. There was one last thing she could do, though, he communicator was still hidden on her uniform, miraculously intact. She flipped it open and tossed it out of range of her assailant and shouted. “Jordyn Finnegan to Captain Kirk! I repeat, Finnegan to Captain Kirk! We’re in the factory and under attack! Be careful! They’re ANDR--” the android had let go of her to crush the communicator. “Nice try, but you won’t be here for long and now we know exactly where your Captain will come looking for you.”

ooo000OOO000ooo

Kirk heard his communicator beep at his side, interrupting the leisurely--and boring--circles he was walking in while waiting for the return of the last group, they should have been there a while ago and it was very unlike his first officer to be less than punctual. A desperate voice rang through the crackling of static. “Finnegan...factory...attack...careful...andr” and a crunch. 

“You don’t think they were ambushed like the other group, do you?” Sulu asked concerned but careful with his wording to not offend Amme.

“They were definitely attacked by something.” Carson pointed out. 

“What was the last word she said?” Amme quietly asked. “Andr… Like ‘Ander’ a name?”

“I have no idea,” Kirk confessed. “Be we can’t waltz in there alone. Let me contact the ship. Kirk to Enterprise.” 

Static.

“Kirk to Enterprise?” 

More static.

“Looks like we’re alone for now.” Sulu commented.

Kirk was generally optimistic but this time he couldn’t come up with a positive thing to say.

ooo000OOO000ooo

When placed upon a biobed it was supposed to pick up a heartbeat and display it on the screen above. Nothing. All the other ones--Riley, Zane, Nikita, someone she didn’t recognize, Bronwyn--seemed fine enough from what she could tell without examining them fully yet but here was Dean Mcanally, dead. She signed, might as well examine him anyway, at least for the cause of death. She passed a scanner across his cranial region down to his thoracic one. There wasn’t bone, no skin, tissue, it was all synthetic material that looked exactly like it. “You’re not human.” She breathed, unsure who she was talking to now.

Mcanally opened his eyes and sat up. “No I’m not honey, just a replica of someone who is no longer living.” 

Chapel stepped back and slowly inched away from whatever was sitting on the biobed. Mcanally continued while gesturing to all the other recovered bodies from the rec room, “And they won’t be anymore either in just a few seconds.”

As if on cue, the bodies started to tremble and it only got worse from there. They shook more violently until they were seizing and fully conscious with uniformed looks of terror and pain. Their bodies vibrated more and contorted while blood came from splits in their skin. Thuds sounded all around her when the fell to the floor in their convulsions and coughed up massive amounts of blood. 

“I would run if I were you.” Mcanally’s imposter taunted her. Chapel stayed a few more seconds until something bursting from their chests? Backs?--She couldn’t tell they were all covered in blood now and their heads in awkward and unnatural angles--tumbled onto the ground. She turned to run and slipped on the massive pool of blood unto the floor, it soaked through her uniform. In a panic, she scrambled in a graceless sliding manner towards the doors while hearing a cynical laugh ring out behind her. 

ooo000OOO000ooo

Spock had somehow managed to kill the android. While they were in the assorted waste he’d encountered a sharp bit of scrap metal that he’d thrust into the android and impaled it. It wasn’t dead then but the end of the metal was gotten caught in the walls of the large waste tunnel, immobilizing him and allowing the Vulcan to get into its circuitry. From there it wasn’t hard to find its core and crush it, being protected inside the body, naturally it wasn’t designed to withstand any pressure opposed upon it.

Now he was tiredly hanging onto a piece of drifting waste, letting the current push him along. He had to come up with a plan to get back to the doctor and architectural engineer. He reached for his communicator, gone, but his tricorder was still wrapped around his neck--the android had done so in attempts to strangle him. It was illogical but he was thankful for its placement now as it hadn’t gotten lost. He readjusted it so it was in its typical position. There was light at the end of the tunnel, the piping fed into a pond. Artificially made too, the bottom of it was concrete and so were the shores. Seeing as that it wasn’t overflowing he assumed there was a drain at the bottom. 

Once out of the tunnel, his eyes adjusted to the blinding light after being in the dark for so long and he made his way to the concrete banks of the pond. Swimming wasn’t something he was bad at but he didn’t enjoy it either, nor the uncomfortable cold temperature of the water. He heaved himself onto the dry land, feeling the extra stress of exhaustion and the weight of the water trying to pull him back in. 

Alone, he stayed on hands and knees allowing the water to drip off of him. He took off the tricorder slung around him and tested its functionality: slow but useful, and possibly broken? It indicated the presence of a lifeform that was not plantlife in front of him. Odd as well since it registered it in essence but without physical form.

“Remember me Mr Spock?” A voice called out. 

Spock looked around. The voice was so familiar… 

“Down here, within the water, we three are concealed.”

Three? Concealed? He suddenly knew who was speaking to him. “Henoch?!”   
[Reference “Return to Tomorrow”]


End file.
